Stock-car



(No Model.)

J. H. CHAMBERLIN.

STOCK CAR.

Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HER-BERT CHAMBERLIN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

STOCK-CA R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,716, dated November 3, 1885.

Application filed March 19, 1885.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, J orrN HERBERT CHAM- BERLTN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of ARamsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Figurel is a sectional side elevation of a portion of a car with my improved attachments arranged therein. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, of the same. Fig. at is a perspective view of one of the reversible and interchangeable stallgates removed from the car.

This invention relates to cars or other places where cattle are confined, or in which live stock, &c., are transported; and it consists in a series of adjustable, reversible, and interchangeable gates or division-walls arranged in the car to form a separate stall or compartment for each head of stock, as hereinafter shown and described.

A represents the platform or floor, A2 the side walls, A3 the end wall, and A4 the roof, of a stoclccar constructed in the ordinary manner.

Secured across the stanchions B, on both sides of the car, between the door-openings C C2 and ends A3 of the car, are grooved or channeled bars D D2, the bars D' being near the top of the car, and the bars D2 being near the bottom of the car, and with their channels opening toward the interior of the car. There are thus eight of these channeled bars; but as both ends of the car are precisely similar I have only shown in the drawings one end of a car, which is sufficient to fully illustrate the invention. At intervals of about six inches (moreI or less) the bars Dl D2 are provided with perforations a, down through which pins b may be inserted. These pins are attached to the car-frame by chains d, the chains being long enough so that each of the pins may be inserted into any one of a number of the holes a; hence only as many pins will be required to each bar D or D2 as there are gates, as hereinafter more fully described. The channels in the bars Dl D2 are intendedv to receive and hold vby the pins b the perforated ends e of the gates, as shown. These gates may be constructed in any suitable manner; but in the drawings I have shown them formed of cor- Serial No. 159,486. (No model.)

ner-sockets g, in which gas-pipe connectingbars 7L are screwed, the intervals inside the bars being supplied with woven wire t'. The sockets g are all alike and interchangeable, as shown, and, as above mentioned, each socket is provided with a perforated end, e, adapted to project into the channels in the bars DD2 and be held therein by the pins b. By theV multiplication of the holes a, it Will be readily understood, the gates may be easily and quickly adjusted along the bars D D2, to increase or decrease the width between the gates, or, in other words, to adapt the width of the stall to the animal it contains. This is a very important advantage, as the animals may thus be stowed with greater economy of space. If the stalls were all of the same size, they would all necessarily have to be arranged to accommodate the largest animals and giving the smaller animals more room than they require; but with this arrangement each animal will have his stall adjusted to his size, and no waste room will occur.

In loading the stock all the pins b on the side neigt to the pen or other place from which the stock is to be loaded are removed and the gates swung around against the opposite side. Then the rst animal is driven in, and after it is in position against the end of the car the hist gate is closed and secured by its pins b. The next animal is then driven in and the next gate secured, and so on until the car is lled. An additional gate may be arranged between the doors C C2, if required; but generally two of the smaller or one of the larger animals can be placed in this space after the 'ends of the car are filled.

It is evident that the animals maybe loaded from either side of the car, it being only necessary to remove the pins b from the side next to which the animals are to arrive.

In Figs. l and 2 two of the gates are shown closed and two of them open, as if the two stalls formed by the closed gates had already been lilled and the remaining two were in position to receive their occupants through the open door C.

I do not wish to confine myself to the precise form of the gates as shown, as I am aware that they may be constructed. in many different ways. They may be made of wood or iron, or

ICO

partially of Wood and partially of metal; but it is very desirable that they be made exactly alike on both their ends and sides, so that they will fit into the bars D D2, no matter how inserted--upside down or end for end-and prevent the necessity of the stockmen changing them around until they fit. By this means the irst gate picked up may be inserted at any point, and in just the position which comes most convenient, it being of course understood that as the gates must be longer one Way than the other one of the longest sides must be placed horizontally; but the difference in length of the sides and ends will be so marked that it will be a very easy matter to discern which Way they are to go, and Will not delay their insertion or confuse the operator. Another important advantage gained by this manner of arranging the gates is that they may be removed entirely when the car is to be used for freight, and so that their presence Will not interfere with the use of t-he car for ordinary freight. Another important advantage is that the stalls may be enlarged to any extent in shipping valuable stock or horses, so as to give them a greater space and prevent injury by too close confinement.

Generally from sixteen to twenty-two headA of cattle are placed in an ordinary car, accord- 30 ing to their size and quality.

These stalls may also be used in barns, on steamboats, ships, Snc., as Well as in cars.

Halter-straps m may be'arranged in each 'i end of each stall to secure the heads of the animals and keep them from turning around in the stalls or from lying down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- In a stock-car, channeled bars along both sides of the car at top and bottom, provided with series of holes on opposite sidesof the channels throughout their length, in combination with interchangeable and reversible gates, each provided With apertured projections at the four corners thereof, which projections iit in the channels of said bars, and pins permanently attached to the car, Which pass through the holes in the channeled bars and the apertures in the gate projections,

whereby they form fastening devices for the N gates .on one side and hinges for the gates on the other side, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit.- nesses.

JOHN HERBERT GHAMBERLIN.

Witnesses:

C. N. WooDWARD, FRANK P. BLAIR. 

